Red Comet of Britannia
by BloodBoredom
Summary: Succumbing to his injuries at the end of CCA, Zeon Ace Char Aznable finds his mind in the body of a Britanninan civilian whose town has just been destroyed. Joining the forces of Britannia to find answers, will the Red Comet blaze thru these dark skies?
1. Chapter 1

-The Red Comet of Britannia-

_Who needs the mystical ability to compel people into your bidding with eye contact when you've been raised and trained by a blonde ladykiller with sunglasses to wage war and claim vengeance against the society that took your mother away from you? Lelouch vi Britannia that's for sure.  
_

And that is the basic premise of this story...

_Darkness...  
_

_The man saw nothing but darkness in the field beyond him.  
_

"Am I dead?" the man floating in the vastness of empty space said to no one.

_"Char..." a disembodied voice spoke out._

"Lalah!" the man tried to reach out with hands he didn't have, "Where are we?"

_"We are where the minds of the fallen come to before finding peace," the fallen Newtype replied, "all of us, Earthlings, Spacenoids, Newtype and Oldtype alike."_

"My fighting has come to an end," Char relaxed, "is Amuro here?"

_"Not yet," the voice of the fallen lover answered, "he's speaking with your sister for the last time."_

"War is truly a terrible thing," the commander of Neo Zeon shook at his words, "and I a greater terror for waging it. At least the world can be at peace now."

_"Not yet..." Lalah's voice faded out, leaving Char Aznable in a state of confusion._

"What do you me-" the mobile suit pilot was cut off by a strange sensation, similar to that of blacking out.

_"Char..." the woman called out once more, "there is still more you must do, not in our time, but in another where the Red Comet must shoot thru a twisted sky."_

_...2003 a.t.b...  
_

_EU forces had staged an attack at a small Britannian town a great distance away from the Empire's military bases. Many civilians, both noble and otherwise, were lost in this calamity, 35 year old Captain Andreas Darlton was sent by Emperor Charles zi Britannia to oversee the rescue of survivors and to investigate the possibility of a counterattack against the EU.  
_

"Damn those European Bastards!" a man with a long scar running down his face cursed aloud, "Attacking a civilian town!? That's a new low even for them!"

"Sir!" a private called for the Captain's attention, "We've found a survivor!"

"What!?" Darlton said in disbelief, "Quickly, get him some medical attention!"

_...Char's POV..._

_A blonde boy, no older than 15 had miraculously survived the destruction of the town. The boy was unconscious, but that was a miracle considering the present state of his surroundings.  
_

"Ugh," the youth groaned.

"Are you alright boy?" a soldier asked with a stern expression.

"What happened?" the blonde looked at the ruins around him in confusion.

"The town was attacked by the EU," the soldier answered, "you're the only survivor."

"My God," Char gave another look at his surroundings, "where am I and who or what is the EU?"

"..." the soldier did not know what to say.

"How is he?" Colonel Darlton inquired.

"Sir!" the soldier saluted, "he can't seem to remember a thing about the town or himself."

"Damn, amnesia," Andreas cursed, "tell me boy, what is your name?"

"..." the survivor thought deeply, "just call me Char, Char Aznable."

"Sounds like a dead poet or something I can't quite seem to remember," the colonel gazed at the blonde.

"I think so too, but its the only name that I can think of so it'll have to do," the blonde admitted.

"Colonel!" another soldier yelped out before his voice was drowned out by gunfire.

"Shit!" Darlton swore as the soldier was shredded to pieces, "the EU was waiting for Britannia to conduct a rescue operation."

"Colonel," the blonde spoke calmly.

"Kid, get outta here with the medical crew, we soldiers will hold them off," the Colonel barked before rushing to his commander type Glasgow, "Men, get into formation."

_Left alone, Char gave a mischievous grin to no discernible onlookers._

"I have no plans of running away," the blonde said before making a dash towards the fallen soldier's Glasgow, "and I'm more than sure of what I'm supposed to do in any situation after waking up like this."

_Looking at the cockpit's design, the Red Comet concluded that it would not be too difficult to operate the machine. Of course, Char also had to make it look like he had no prior combat experience._

"I never thought that I would be expected to do terribly in battle," Char laughed it off as he closed the cockpit door.

_A green blip appeared on the HUDs of the Britanians._

"What the-" Darlton said in genuine shock, "no one's supposed to be in that unit!"

"Colonel," a familiar blonde appeared on the screen.

"Kid, what're you doing?" the Colonel was less than pleased, "Get outta here!"

_"My answers can only be found in the battlefield," the heir of Zeon thought._

"Sir, these men destroyed my home!" Char emulated the drive from his famous speech in Dakar, but fealt uneasy having to lie about a serious matter. "I don't even know who the hell I am."

"This is a real battle kid!" Darlton yelled over the comm channel.

"With all due respect sir," the blonde said as he took a deep breath, "I can handle myself in a fight."

_Without taking another second to think, the Red Comet put the landspinners of his commandeered Glasgow to full throttle and headed straight for the thick of the enemy formation, taking note that the enemy's heavy artillery left them susceptible to close combat._

"You're going to get shot down!" one of Darlton's assistants tried reasoning with the blonde.

_Skillfully evading most of the auto-cannon fire from the Panzer-Hummels such that the rounds that struck the Glasgow's frame were merely glancing blows that the Red Comet could have easily avoided, Char struck one EU Knightmare frame with the Glasgow's Stun gun at the moment that the Panzer shifted its angle, resulting in the unit uncontrollably firing in the direction of it's own allies due to damage from the electric shock. In the moments, that followed,  
_

"Impossible!" the colonel's aide de camp voiced out, "He's letting them take each other out."

"You sure he's never been on the battlefield Colonel?" another soldier asked incredulously.

_Moving to another target, Char struck the Panzer-Hummel at the factosphere sensor with one swift hit before tripping it with its left tonfa, grasping the EU machine's arm-mounted autocannon with the Glasgow's free right hand and aiming it at the remaining machines._

"Why aren't they firing?" the aide de camp questioned aloud.

"At that range," Darlton explained, not once letting his guard down, "they'll risk destroying their own ally."

_With quick thinking, the blonde ran circles around his enemies, firing its own machine cannon and striking with his slash harken when able. Eventually, Char gave Darlton and his men something they believed to be unattainable._

_Victory.  
_

_At Darlton's command, the Glasgows picked off the EU knightmares that were preoccupied with the abnormally agile Glasgow piloted by the Red Comet. Before long, the EU commanding officer realized that he was all that remained, before he could open the comm channels to surrender, Darlton's men blasted his unit with their remaining ammunition.  
_

-2 hours later at the Britannian's Temporary Camp-

"All enemies down sir!" the aide de camp reported, "No survivors on the EU's end."

"That's too bad," Darlton rubbed his chin.

"Sir?" the aide replied perplexed.

"I was hoping to get answers out of them," the Colonel squinted, "like what the EU gains from attacking a quiet town like this."

_"Makes you think," Darlton pondered, "where the kid learned to fight like that."_

"Colonel," a familiar blonde entered the room.

"Aznable," Darlton motioned for Char to take a seat.

"..." the Red Comet studied the battle hardened veteran.

"Right now," the Colonel began before reading the combat report, "you have two options."

"Options sir?" Char wondered aloud.

"One," Andreas raised a single finger for emphasis, "we get you t the mainland and have you settled in with foster care until someone figures out what to do with you."

"And the other?" the blonde voiced with distaste for the first.

"Two," Darlton raised another finger, "you join the military because frankly, I haven't seen fighting like that since Lady Marianne joined the Knights of the Round."

_"Knights of the Round?" Char scoffed mentally, "While intimidating, it sounds far too childish for me to take seriously at the moment, I'll read on them later."_

"Kid?" the Colonel snapped his fingers.

"Sir!" the blonde straightened his back in attention.

"At least you space out like kids do," Darlton sighed, "you need more time to think?"

"Not at all Colonel," Char answered with a smile.

"Hm? So what'll it be?" the Colonel covered the grin that formed in his mouth.

"I believe you know my answer to that," the blonde smiled.

"Let me be the first to welcome you," Darlton stretched his hand, "to the Britannian Military."

"Glad to be here sir," the Red Comet accepted the man's gesture.

_And so begins the tale of The Red Comet of Britannia._


	2. Chapter 2

-The Red Comet of Britannia-

_Who needs the mystical ability to compel people into your bidding with eye contact when you've been raised and trained by a blonde ladykiller with a love for masks and sunglasses to wage war and claim vengeance against the society that took your mother away from you? Lelouch vi Britannia doesn't, that's for sure.  
_

And that is the basic premise of this story...

-_2004 a.t.b.-_

_...Pendragon, the Imperial Capital...  
_

_It was widely known throughout the Universal Century that Char Aznable was a big playboy. The same could be said of his life in this new world, within months of formal training and his first few forays into Britannian warfare, the Red Comet, as he built up for himself, was able to garner a cartoon based on his character, advertisements for the military and Pizza Hut, and a following of fans or groupies, many of whom Char had subsequently taken out for dates, and if they were lucky, his apartment. Today, the Red Comet was given the distinction of receiving his first custom Knightmare as thanks for piloting the test version.  
_

_"It's 6:00 AM," the blonde groaned half-awake.  
_

"It's 6:00 AM," the Red Comet of Britannia shot up from his bed, "I have to get to the R&D department by 8:00"

_Getting up from his bed, Char remembered that there was someone else under the covers._

"Hmmm," the soldier studied the sleeping goddess that was clinging to his sheets, her blonde hair flailing back and forth, her luscious skin beckoning the Red Comet to come back to bed.

"...I should just make breakfast now," the Red Comet resigned himself to something more gentlemanly.

_-10 minutes later-_

_The last 12 hours were a blur to one Rakshata Chawla, currently a student at the Imperial Colchester Institute, initially, she and Lloyd Asplund, or as she called him, the Earl of Pudding, were making their finishing touches to their project proposal which was due the day after. Then, both decided to celebrate beating the deadline, intrigued by a crowd of people, the engineering duo found themselves at the company of one Char Aznable. Afterwards, Lloyd spotted the Duke of Ashford and the scientist began pestering the gentleman for data on the Ashford Foundation's Ganymede. A few drinks later, the Red Comet took Rakshata to his apartment and the res is history.  
_

"..." the blonde woke up to the pleasant smell of omelets and French toast, "What is that lovely smell?"

_As if in reply, the new idol of Britannia walked in, wearing a red apron, with his red slippers, carrying a red tray, with red plates, two red cups and set it in front of his "guest" on top of his red sheets._

_Thankfully, the room and its furnishings were not colored the same, even the Red Comet had his limits.  
_

"Breakfast in bed," Char smiled as he took the apron off and used it as an impromptu napkin, "I hope your friend isn't worried."

"Hmm?" the woman mumbled as she took a bite out of the toast, "oh Lloyd, no, he tends to forget things once he finds something that piques his interest."

"I see," the blonde let out a chuckle, "I recall you had something to do in school today."

"Yes," Rakshata rubbed her eyes, "although it's scheduled at 8:00 and Colchester is just a few minutes from here."

"What a coincidence," the Red Comet sipped some of his juice, "I also have an appointment at that time."

"And what would the Red Comet of Britannia be doing then?" the woman inquired with a giggle.

"It's classified. If I told you, then I'd have to kill you," Char put his sunglasses on for added drama.

"Pfft," the scientist almost choked on her omelet in laughter, "did you get that from some action movie?"

"It was a good movie," the Red Comet snickered defensively, "honestly though, I'm getting my own knightmare."

"That was good," Rakshata said as she finished her breakfast, "I'd never take you for a cook."

"I try," Char graciously received the compliment, "if you'd like to freshen up, the shower is just over there."

"I'd love to," the scientist said seductively, "care to join me?"

_-30 minutes later-_

_Drying her hair with a red towel, Rakshata noted that she could tell this story to the promising young student Cecil Croomy, who had the misfortune of falling into the negative influence of Rakshata Chawla and Lloyd Asplund._

"One of these days," the woman began, "I'm going to build you a Knightmare frame better than the one's that the Knights of the Round use."

"I'm going to keep you to that promise," the Red Comet replied.

"I'll even paint it red," the scientist teased.

"What gave it away?" Char acted oblivious.

_Bidding farewell to the girl, Char Aznable made his way to Camelot, where the scientists and engineers of Britannia made the new weapons that would be sent out to the battlefield._

_"I'm somewhat surprised," the blonde mused smugly on the car ride to Camelot, "all those women back from Zeon, AEUG, and even Nanai Miguel...and adding today, I can safely conclude that being a Newtype makes one immune to STD's."  
_

"Sir," the military escort snapped Char out of his daze, "we've arrived."

"Oh," a genuine look of shock projected from the Red Comet's face, "thank you, I'll be going then."

_Char began making way to the Knightmare hangar where all the engineers and technicians were rushing to have his Custom Glasgow ready at his arrival._

_"It's strange how time moves so fast," the blonde thought to himself, "I can still remember Axis' descent to Earth as if it were just yesterday."  
_

"2nd Lieutenant Char Aznable, I presume?" a bearded man waved his hand in front of the daydreaming soldier.

"Sorry," the blonde apologized, "I tend to daydream every so often."

"I just hope you won't do that out in the battlefield," a scientist with a gruff demeanor and a large mustache scoffed.

"Just out of it, thankfully," the Red Comet replied.

"Pardon my associate here," the bearded scientist, who reminded Char of Santa Claus, sighed, "Albert is just concerned about what happens to the things we build here."

"Build, Thomas?" the one with the mustache raised an eyebrow, "We create, and I'd need a lot more than funding to entrust this work of art to a daydreaming 2nd Lieutenant."

"Well, with a rank like that, I'd assume he's some kind of lord of the battlefield," Thomas shrugged.

"I just got into the military less than a year ago," Char admitted, "I've only been on a few battles so far."

"You do yourself no justice my boy," Albert grinned, "Colonel Darlton wrote of your combat prowess in great detail."

"Yes," the blonde pondered, "I guess the Colonel does throw my story here and there."

"This is no Glasgow boy!" Albert said passionately as he began walking to a specific part of the hangar.

"He loves his work," Thomas chuckled, "his wife however, does not appreciate his dedication to our projects here."

"Trouble in paradise then?" Char acted as if he were interested in the conversation.

"No, she's in the medical division down the hall," the jolly fellow answered, "we just hear her nagging everyday..."

"I'll take the EU over this kind of life," the Red Comet joked.

_...10 minutes later..._

_After a great deal of walking and preparations on the engineers' end, the scientists and pilot finally reached their destination.  
_

"This frame here is more than the conventional Glasgow that Britannia fields today," Thomas began by displaying the schematics of the unit on a tablet.

"How so?" Char inquired.

"The basic frame is there," Albert continued, "but we've modified the cockpit to be able to sustain the forces that your insistent 'three times faster than the regular model' requests would put."

"I hope that wasn't much trouble then," the blonde smirked.

"With the work we do here?" Albert scoffed.

"Anyway," Thomas fake coughed, "we've also added your peculiar request for an ax."

"And?" Char expected more to be added to the description.

"...And it is capable of being heated to 250 degrees Celsius," the jolly fellow heaved.

"That is less reliable and practical than the tonfas by the way," Albert interjected, "the energy consumption from just keeping that thing on..."

"It's not like I'm gonna keep the heat on every second," the Red Comet defended his choice in weaponry, _"it worked for the Zaku, it should work here."_

"Right, that's at your discretion then," the mustachioed scientist grabbed a glass full of water and gulped it down quickly.

"We've also switched the assault rifle with a shotgun," Thomas pressed a button that revealed a Knightmare-scaled shotgun, "because close range is the only place you're going with this."

"That is my style so I wouldn't have it any other way," Char said as he studied the design and found something peculiar, "Hmm."

"That?" Albert pointed at the screen, "With a risky fighting style like that, why it would make sense that we'd change the Factsphere mechanism."

"But, that kind of mechanism..." the blonde's eye twitched.

"Yes, folding the faceplate via sliding would reduce the effective range of the sensor, but that shouldn't be an issue with your insane speed," Albert said.

"I've also taken the liberty in adding something else," Thomas interrupted.

"Behind my back Thomas? I would never have thought you to do something like that," the mustachioed scientist said with sarcasm.

"With the high mobility and acceleration of the unit," the stocky man showed another screen with a close-up of the Frame's arms, "I've included impact knuckles that can double as a defensive measure, they offer no addition weaponry, but provide maximum damage when used at higher speeds, so you have other options besides that blasted ax."

"I have a feeling that both of you are never going to let me live it down," the blonde scoffed.

_-1 Hour Later-_

_The crew were preparing to ship the Glasgow to Char's next assignment when a sudden phone call interrupted their preparations._

"Colonel?" the blonde answered the military line.

_"So Char, I see you're in base now," Andreas said over the phone, "your launch assignment's been cancelled."_

"What!?" the Red Comet was not happy with the news.

_"Calm down son," the officer scratched his scar, "this new mission comes from the emperor himself."_

"Orders sir?" the soldier in him got it together.

_"You'll be meeting with a small unit of select soldiers," Darlton instructed, "Princess Euphemia and Cornelia have been held hostage."_

_-End-_


	3. Chapter 3

-The Red Comet of Britannia-

_Who needs the mystical ability to compel people into your bidding with eye contact when you've been raised and trained by a blonde ladykiller with a love for masks and sunglasses to wage war and claim vengeance against the society that took your mother away from you? Lelouch vi Britannia doesn't, that's for sure.  
_

And that is the basic premise of this story...

-_Previously-_

_Within moments of receiving a state of the art custom Knightmare frame, Char Aznable was drafted by his Commanding Officer, Andreas Darlton, to join a special task force to rescue the kidnapped Royals, Princess Cornelia and Princess Euphemia. Shipping out on his first sortie with a new Knightmare only mitigated the worry of the Red Comet, as he had not met any of the proposed members of the group. To the masses, Char was viewed as a hero, however, the nobility viewed him as an upstart, a social climber, or a commoner that didn't know his place.  
_

_-Britannian HQ-  
_

_...Briefing Room...  
_

_Char Aznable was the first to arrive on the scene, a disgruntled Andreas Darlton greeting the lad.  
_

"Colonel," the blonde greeted warmly, "any news?"

"Might as well tell you before the others get here," the wizened soldier sighed, "it wasn't the EU that did this."

"I understand that," Char began explaining, "to kidnap any of our beloved royal family is to declare war on Britannia, although we are already at war with the EU, the Emperor would probably decide to take things up a notch."

"Sharp," the Colonel said as a compliment, "the ones who did this were other Britannians."

"Like rebels?" the newtype questioned, "How long have they been active?"

"They've been around for a while, but it was mostly demonstrations and the like," the man rubbed his scar, "this is the first time they've ever done something like this."

"Their demands sir?" the Red Comet tried to piece things together.

"Transfer to the EU," Darlton hissed, "damned traitors, they also want cash with that, a lot of cash."

_Before mentor and student could continue their discussion, the clanging of footsteps on the cold metal floor interrupted the two, indicating the arrival of the rest of their party._

"Jeremiah Gottwald reporting for duty sir!" a man with blue hair saluted rather snappily.

"Luciano Bradley," an orange-haired man said with boredom permeating from his voice, "when does the slaughter begin?"

"Bradley!" the proper soldier reprimanded the one who paid no heed to decorum.

"Settle down you two!" Andreas spoke rather irately, "Every second you idiots waste here is one second less for the princesses."

"..." both Gottwald and Bradley were silenced.

"Back to the matter at hand sir," Char took command of the situation.

"Yes," Darlton agreed as he revealed a flat-screen monitor from the wall.

"Six hours ago," the Colonel said as video footage played in the background, "Princesses Cornelia and Euphemia were kidnapped by rebels."

"Rebels?" Gottwald gazed in disbelief, "How could we allow this to happen?"

"That's my line, son," the senior officer rubbed his scar, "their asking for fifty million and safe escort to neutral lands."

"What about the big man's orders?" Luciano asked, amused at the situation, pointing at the portrait of Charles zi Britannia hanging on the wall.

"I've called Bismarck Waldstein himself," Andreas replied, "the Emperor says to do what we deem necessary."

"So he isn't keen on paying the ransom for the two," the Red Comet said coldly, "...then what about-"

"Their forces?" the colonel predicted the young Aznable's train of thought, "they've got roughly twenty Glasgows and the rest are armed with assault rifles."

"How about numbers sir?" Jeremiah looked at one of the datapads that were distributed by the intelligence division.

"There are the twenty KMF's, forty armed men and one armored transport where they're holding the princesses," Darlton said grimly, "Whether or not this is good or bad, our enemies are inexperienced and have never set foot in an actual battlefield, their KMF's are patchwork jobes made out of spare parts and their guns are outdated."

"The problem with a rescue attempt," Char rubbed his chin, "is that we can't predict how they'll react to an attack."

"Hm, not to imply treason or anything," Bradley smirked at the group, "why not blow everything up, pin it on the rebels and come back to some Margaritas on me? I'm sure the big man can just make us two new princesses."

"I don't know if I should label you insane or stupid," the blue-haired soldier said incredulously.

"To save your little brain from overloading, just call me the Vampire of Britannia," Luciano answered smugly.

_It hit Jeremiah like a semi-truck that moment, the orange-haired man who was clearly a sociopath, the name gnawed at the back of the Purist's head, was none other than the infamous Vampire of Britannia._

"You...you," Gottwald fumbled for the words to say to the inhuman being who stood beside him.

"That's right, I ain't even heard of you Jeremy, so you should put more effort in addressing your betters," Bradley said condescendingly.

"Now if you're done overcompensating for something, we should be launching to California in a few minutes time," Char tapped the sociopath on the shoulder.

"And who the fuck are you to talk to an ace pilot like me that way!?" the orange-haired man's face seethed with anger.

"I'm Char Aznable," the blonde replied calmly, his back turned to the remaining two soldiers in the room, "the Red Comet of Britannia."

_The two soldiers were in awe, the young man that they had pegged as Colonel Darlton's aid was in fact, the legendary Red Comet of Britannia, one who even Bismarck Waldstein, Knight of One, had his eye on as a possible candidate for membership as a Knight of the Round._

_-San Francisco, California-_

_The KMF pilots were sorely lacking in confidence, their leader, Colonel Darlton was to meet the rebels in their armored transport and make the trade. The money had been collected from the Imperial Treasury under the condition that it would be returned to the vault at the end of the mission.  
_

_"This is gonna be the defining point in these kids' careers," the Colonel thought to himself as he gazed at the group of three before entering the armored transport.  
_

"Tch, why the hell do we have to hide in this damned warehouse!?" Luciano raged from within the cockpit, "My trigger finger's already itching."

_Panning out from the cockpit, one could see the modifications in the Vampire of Britannia's custom silver Glasgow, the left hand held a stun tonfa was bladed and sharp at the ends, the slash harkens had a sinister and drill like appearance, the right hand of the Glasgow housed a drill/lance hybrid._

"You'll get your chance soon Bradley," Jeremiah scoffed, "it would be a great hindrance to your future massacres if we don't get the princesses here."

_Jeremiah's blue Glasgow stood by the warehouse's gate, armed solely for ranged combat, the Knightmare had foregone the use of stun tonfa, replacing them with arm mounted machine cannons, one folding bazooka over the right shoulder and the slash harkens in their standard placement. The unit was given the ID code of Glasgow Assault._

"Focus you two," the Red Comet scolded his teammates, "the Colonel's just gotten in."

_It seemed that there existed a force in the universe that saw to it that Char Aznable would always be fighting, as mere seconds since Andreas had entered the armored transport, an explosion rocked it from the starboard side._

"Okay, that wasn't me," the Vampire of Britannia admitted with envy in his tone, "wish it was, but it wasn't."

_The Britannian Air Force sent reconnaissance helicopters to give full view of the situation, of course, the choppers were unarmed and kept considerable distance from the armored transport._

"I've got intel," Gottwald said with a no-nonsense demeanor, "our eye in the sky says that the blast came from within."

"I spot ten Glasgows out there," Luciano smirked, "the others must be in the hangar of that thing."

"Blow out their own transport?" the notion sounded ludicrous to the Red Comet.

"Second thoughts perhaps on betraying the motherland," Jeremiah thought out.

"Dunno about you two..." the Vampire of Britannia smirked from his unit, "but I think that this chaos is the perfect opportunity to strike."

"They might start panicking," Char blurted out, "and that makes things harder for us."

"Understood," Jeremiah revved his KMF for battle, "on three."

_In unison, the three man Knightmare squad broke their cover and headed out to neutralize the enemy Glasgows, the rebels were not expecting this and Colonel Darlton had already evacuated to head to his Glasgow Command._

"Counting two marks," Gottwald stated professionally.

_As soon as he finished his field report, the two Glasgows opened fire on the Britannian soldier, dodging the shoots effortlessly, Jeremiah aimed his folding bazooka at the rightmost Knightmare and after a few evasive maneuvers took the shot, obliterating the enemy unit in a single shot.  
_

"One down," Jeremiah spoke over the comm unit, "three bogeys heading for your position, Red Comet."

_Checking out his factosphere sensors, Char Aznable confirmed the man's information, the enemy units were closing in on his position, believing that they could beat him with superior numbers._

"Thanks for the heads up," the Red Comet of Britannia began meeting the enemy group head on, "I'm gonna be the first to greet them though."

_The three Glasgows were surprised that the Britannian machine decided to meet them head on and the leftmost machine launched its slash harkens at the Red Glasgow. Remembering the naysayers in Pendragon, Char caught the harken with his ax and planted it firmly on the ground before rushing in and unloading three shells from his shotgun onto the opponent's cockpit. The other two units were opening fire, but the Glasgow's outrageous speed allowed him to easily dodge their blows and reclaim his ax which he proceeded to activate, the sound of sizzling metal becoming audible. With the heat ax, Char literally disarmed one Glasgow before kicking it to its ally and delivering a chaos mine to the feet of both units before dashing away._

"Incredible," Jeremiah said flabbergasted at the amazing maneuvers that the Red Comet performed, having just sniped his second adversary.

_Something unexpected happened just as soon as Luciano took down his second opponent..._

__"This the best they've got!?" the Vampire of Britannia sounded disappointed.

_One enemy unit managed to sneak past the cocky pilot's line of sight and jumped above the silver Glasgow, intending to avenge its comrades. Out of the blue, machine-gun fire poured over the enemy unit and demolished it after hitting the Sakuradite reactor._

__"This is Cornelia li Britannia," the pilot of the enemy registered Glasgow spoke, "my sister is fine, but we need to get out of here."

_-End-  
_


	4. Chapter 4

-_Red Comet of Britannia-_

_-2006 a.t.b.-_

_It had been almost two years since the kidnapping of Princesses Cornelia and Euphemia, those involved in the rescue operations were quickly recognized by Britannian High Command for their service to the crown. Jeremiah Gottwald was now at the helm of the 'Purist' faction, arguing that only 'true' Britannians could defend the motherland and that those from the Areas should stick to supporting from the sidelines. Luciano Bradley, surprisingly caught the eye of Bismarck Waldstein, no pun intended, for membership in the Knights of the Round, in the hopes that the Knight of One could whip the sociopath into shape as a true soldier of Britannia. Char Aznable however, found himself in a more delicate situation, one that would doom him if he ever failed. He was dating the Emperor's daughter.  
_

_-Flashback-  
_

_-2005 a.t.b.-  
_

_Little over a year ago, the blonde man who sat outside the cafe was a mere soldier of Britannia, considered an ace but a soldier nonetheless. Since the mission to rescue the princesses, things started to change for the Red Comet. First, a large sum of money was given to him for his service to the crown. Second, he walked into the base one day and learned that he had just been given his own unit. Third, a courier approached him that morning to deliver a letter from Princess Cornelia li Britannia, requesting his presence the very next day.  
_

"You seem to be the talk of the town," _General_ Andreas Darlton chuckled, taking a seat beside the blonde.

"Is this how it all works?" Char sighed, "almost a year making the EU look like children with toy guns and I get promoted because I helped rescue a Britannian princess, one who didn't seem to need rescuing in the end."

"Gets you in the public eye," the scarred man answered, "military understands the importance of such things, helps raise morale too, anyway I'm proud of you, your own unit ."

"Yeah," the Red Comet sipped his coffee, "Axis...named it after a place I used to go to."

"A fort you and your friends named when you were kids?" the General laughed.

"Sort of," Char replied, _"more like a nuclear equipped asteroid that I almost sent crashing to Earth."_

"So I just heard some interesting news this morning," the annoyingly superior officer grinned, "concerning our Princess Cornelia."

"What do you make of it by the way?" the blonde inquired, unsure of what a royal invitation entailed.

"She'll probably make you a personal knight," Andreas replied, arms crossed, "good position, Waldstein's eye usually starts looking there for Knights of the Round candidates."

"And my unit?" Char asked, taking a bite out of his toast.

"That depends really," Darlton answered, ordering his own cup of coffee, "usually, you'd have to give up the unit, but the princess knows how to fight in and out of a Knightmare so your unit maybe reassigned as her official guard."

"That I remember," the Red Comet reminisced, "you trained her after all."

"Haha," the man laughed heartily, "that's true, but...well you'll figure it out when you see her."

_-The Next Day-_

_Char arrived in the li Britannia's palace early in the afternoon, the chauffeur opened the door for the soldier and escorted him to the waiting room. At the center of the grandiose room sat one Cornelia li Britannia, in an elegant light pink gown that left those present, especially Char Aznable, dumbstruck. However, as one could expect from the future Witch of Britannia, wearing such a thing was not something she found an enjoyable experience.  
_

"You..." the blonde struggled, his tongue tied.

"Er, yes," Cornelia truly felt suffocated in the dress, "I believe the letter was rather vague about why I summoned you here."

_In the far corner of the room stood a woman who was a splitting image of Princess Cornelia save for having longer hair that was also a lighter shade of purple. The woman looked up at the Princess and gave a sincere smile that made the girl very uncomfortable.  
_

"So you're that strapping young lad that Andreas talks about all the time," the woman giggled, "he thinks the world of you, his sons are even striving to be more like you."

"I had no idea," Char hummed, ""should I be worried?"

"Just don't embarrass yourself and Darlton will leave you mostly intact," the woman smiled, "Cornelia thinks the world of you as well, since the rescue operation she wouldn't stop talking ab-"

"Mother!" the princess snapped, "That was said in confidence!"

"And I have every confidence that the Red Comet here already has some ideas of his own," Cornelia's mother knew just how to push her daughter's buttons.

"..." the Princess pouted in silence.

"Actually Your Majesty," the blonde feigned ignorance, "I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."

_"Whew,"_ the future Witch of Britannia sighed mentally, _"I didn't think it was possible for Mother to be so, so Mother-y."_

_"The worst possible scenario here..." Char analyzed the situation, "she ends up like Haman and nearly or successfully kills me."_

"You two are so quiet!" the Empress clapped her hands, "Trying to read each others' mind? I have to tell Marianne about this, she'd love it."

_A little known fact in the circles of the Imperial Family, Marianne Lamperouge, now Marianne vi Britannia was quite close to Cornelia and Euphemia's mother due to a rescue operation during her tenure as Knight of Two. The Emperor's wives have been the closest of friends since, much to the annoyance of the rest of the Imperial Family who didn't quite welcome the commoner born the Empress, now with the attention span of a small child, quickly ordered her chauffeur to take her to Aries Palace.  
_

"So," Cornelia continued, face turning red like a tomato, "I haven't really said anything yet."

"Is the Empress _always _like that?" the blonde asked, his eyebrow raised.

"She's just that way because apparently men find women on the battlefield intimidating," the purple haired princess sighed, "if Lady Marianne caught Father's attention, then why can't I find a man of my own?"

"You do realize, Your Highness, that I'm standing right in front of you..." the Red Comet mentally facepalmed.

"Eh?" the princess nearly tripped on her own dress, "That, that has nothing to do with it, I saw your skills on the battlefield myself, Darlton is already far too precious to central command, Gottwald is doing this and that with his 'Purist' faction, and Bradley...Bradley is absolutely insane."

"Somehow, Princess Cornelia, I feel even worse with that being said," the soldier groaned.

"I apologize then," the princess said a big *hmph* at the end, "So, will you take the offer, to be my knight?"

"I would be honored to, Your Highness," the blonde answered with a practiced bow, Darlton had to teach him proper court protocol to avoid embarrassing himself.

_And so begins the tale of the gallant Knight, clad in deep crimson, and the Lady of War he had sworn to protect._

_-Back to 2006 a.t.b.-_

_Today was going to be a difficult day for the Red Comet of Britannia. Today, he is about to face an adversary that his conventional tactics would be ineffectual against. General Darlton had informed him that this enemy could end his promising military career in an instant, with attacks that could not be evaded nor defended against.  
_

_Today, Char Aznable meets the rest of the Royal Family._

_Today was the Emperor's Birthday, where the Britannian royals along with their allied nobles would celebrate one of the rare pseudo-public appearances of Emperor Charles zi Britannia._

"I will be honest with you Milady," the blonde said with some reluctance, "I already hate this gathering."

"Your candor would have killed you were you in the service of any other member of the family," Cornelia spoke with mild irritation.

"Which is why I am very content to be _your _Knight," Char teased, "I find our honesty to be one of the few things that keep me sane in this cutthroat society."

"Hmph," the princess walked ahead of her Knight, "if it's any consolation, I have never really fancied any of these events, even Father's parties."

"And yet one more thing we have in common is revealed," the Red Comet caught up to his _date._

_Inside the beautifully decorated palace were no less than four hundred people, mostly of noble or royal descent. The Knight and his Lady approached a table to the far corner of the room, sitting on said table were Cornelia's mother, Empress Marianne, Lelouch and Nunally vi Britannia, and Euphemia li Britannia.  
_

"You two finally decided to make it," Cornelia's mother said with a mischievous grin, "why the Emperor has already finished his speech, just what were you two doing?"

"Mother!" the Princess covered her face in shame, "Why does it always have to be about that?"

"That's because your mother is very bored dear," Marianne the Flash said with a straight face, "so this is Britannia's new poster boy eh?"

"I hardly think I qualify for that, Your Majesty," the blonde withheld his hero worship.

"And so polite too," Marianne flashed her fellow Empress a smile, "Cornelia, never let this one go."

"..." the Princess of Britannia could do nothing but grin and bear the shame.

_-Meanwhile-_

_A familiar orange-haired man was walking towards the Red Comet, a big smile pasted on his face._

"Yo Aznable," the man said crassly, "how does it feel getting passed up for the Knights of the Round?"

"I never did congratulate you for that did I, Bradley?" Char replied coolly.

"You actually forgot?" Bradley said smugly, "Your memory must be fading already, man."

"No, I didn't forget," the blonde answered, "I really had no intention of congratulating you."

_The exchange seemed to have attracted a lot of attention and Char, noticing this began distancing himself from the new Knight of Ten. Suddenly, the Vampire of Britannia made the biggest mistake of his life._

"Tch, just 'cuz you're getting _intimate_ with the Princess, you think you can do that?" the orange-haired man blinked, not seeing the fist heading for his face.

"Say what you will about me Bradley," the blue-eyed man said with a death glare, "but remember, you're just a dog and your master is coming for you."

"What the-" the scum of the earth wondered as he picked himself up.

"Bradley!" the booming voice of the Knight of One arrived, his gaze set upon the downed Vampire.

"Shit, the man cursed under his breath.

"The Emperor heard every word," Bismark growled, "and in the spirit of Britannian honor, is withholding punishment."

"Thank God," Luciano sighed in relief.

"Instead, you and Aznable are too provide entertainment for today," the giant of a man said, rubbing his chin, "One-on-one Knightmare combat in an hour."

_The Red Comet simply turned his back and started heading for his table, the looks of concern given by Cornelia and her mother reaching him, Empress Marianne however, gave a sincere smile._

_And Char knew why she did as she did, unconsciously, the blonde smiled in return, the Empress knew he was going to enjoy this._

_-End-_

_If anyone is concerned that Char is too snarky, I'll tone him down when the story gets serious, it's sort of justified that he basically had to grow up again, and people aren't supposed to do that twice, it symbolizes a sort of detachment to the world that treats him much younger than he is accustomed to be._


	5. Chapter 5

-_Red Comet of Britannia-_

_-2006 a.t.b.-_

_The duel between the Red Comet and Vampire of Britannia, while made in haste, has already caught the attention of Britannia's vast media outlets. An up and coming young journalist, Diethard Ried, has been sent by his station to cover the Red Comet's side of the story._

_"Why did I get stuck with this guy?" the reporter mentally groaned, "He's cool and mysterious, but he's not the Knight of Ten, this'll be done in ten seconds top."_

"You look disappointed?" Char Aznable stated to the media man as he helped Albert and Thomas in calibrating the Glasgow Model CA for combat in Britannian geography.

"Not at all," Diethard dissuaded the man's thought, "it's just that, well, this is a Glasgow..."

"...And?" Albert's head popped out, waiting for the journalist to continue his train of thought.

"Come now Albert," Thomas scolded his old friend, "we should be focusing on the task at hand."

"Tch, we'll show you media man," the irate scientist swore, "this is no ordinary Glasgow!"

"I'm sure you chaps at Pendragon overdid the development of this _unit as you usually do,_" Ried rubbed the back of his head in the knowledge that he might have said something very_, very _wrong to the men of science.

"But what?" Albert scoffed as he resumed working on the weapons placement, "boy, you want the micro missile launcher or the shotgun?"

"Let's see, the Percival-Beta is purely close combat, the missiles would most likely get cut down, but I can use that if we load it with chaff," the blonde said analytically.

"You're really going to challenge Doctor Cossak's Percival?" Diethard asked for clarification.

"Cossak?" a twinkle appeared in Thomas' eye, "Did you hear that Albert? The man thinks we're looking to challenge Mikhail."

"You mean Mikhail Cossak?" the grumpy scientist spat out, "That changes things, now we're off to dangerous things."

_Leaving Thomas and Char to the calibrations, Albert Wily went out to his van to make a few phone calls to his office._

"Where in Britannia is he going?" Ried asked Thomas.

"He's probably having something sent from the lab," the jolly old man stroked his beard, "here in Britannia, we're always on our toes about these things."

"I suppose you two and Doctor Mikhail don't see eye-to-eye?" the media man surmised.

"Correct, we never forgave him the for time he stole our joint research, used it for the Percival's power management system," Thomas answered, "I do believe that we can exploit this today."

_...Meanwhile..._

_-Luciano Bradley's Camp-_

_The Knight of Ten was lounging around an extravagant couch while drinking fine wine and conversing with the Percival series' chief mechanic and designer._

"So Doc," the Vampire of Britannia chuckled, "how badly will I be leaving that smug blondie today?"

"Sadly," the Doctor sighed, "Aznable is considered an asset to the Empire, so non-lethal combat is instated by the Emperor himself."

"I suppose the old man does have to make sure that the only man willing to go near to his daughter without a ten foot pole is still breathing," the sadist grinned, "suppose he doesn't need to be standing to fit that description."

"Yes, yes," Mikhail agreed absentmindedly, "though if you could toy around with him a bit, put on a show to the higher ups."

"I'd rather just chop his Factsphere off and watch him squirm before putting him out of his misery," Luciano rebutted.

"My boy, if the bigwigs of the Empire saw some of the Percival series' capabilities, then there is a good chance that they would increase our funding," the Doctor explained.

"Fine," the Vampire of Britannia surrendered, "but I want faster rotation on the drill, and perhaps we should do some research on menacing sounds to intimidate the shit out of my targets."

"Noted." the elderly scientist fixed his glasses before resuming his adjustment.

_-The Box Seats-_

_A very worried and panicky Cornelia was fidgeting around the box with her little sister Euphemia, siblings Lelouch and Nunnally and the two Empresses._

"Why is this happening now?" the Princess groaned, "I just had him instated, I didn't even get to parade him around the other princesses. and now he's going to fight that monster."

"Why Cornelia, it's a stab at young Aznable's honor with how little faith you have in him," Marianne said calmly.

"But, the man he's fighting is the Knight of Ten," the purple-haired princess countered.

"Be that as it may, sister," Lelouch said pragmatically, "studying the media records since Char was active in the military, it has come to my attention that he either turned down the promotion to Knight of Ten or was overlooked due to the lack of length in his career."

"Aw Lulu, I was going to tell her that," Marianne looked at her son with fake disappointment.

"You're mean big brother," Nunnally said flatly, pointing her index finger at Lelouch, "you made mama sad."

"Yeah Lulu, you're terrible," Euphemia joined in.

"Eh, you too Euphie?" the 11th Prince of Britannia gasped.

"Wait," Cornelia tapped the sides of her head, a migraine starting to swell in her brain, "what do you mean by turning down or overlooking the promotion?"

"Well, you see..." Cornelia's mother began explaining with a nervous laugh.

"I still have a few ears or rather, one good eye, in the Knights of the Round," Marianne said with a motherly expression, "and I've been told that the position of Knight of Ten was originally to be awarded to Char, but he declined, saying it was too soon for him to be there."

"Are you saying he actually stands a chance?" the future Witch of Britannia set her gaze on the Empresses.

"You've seen him fight firsthand dear," Cornelia's mother calmly sipped her tea, "what do you think?"

"The difference in skill is meaningless when you include the fact that Bradley has a state of the art KMF in his hand," the Princess retorted, "my Knight has a _Glasgow._"

"We'll see," Marianne giggled as she pried her son from the teasing of his two sisters, "it's about to start now."

_-The Battlefield-_

_...10 Minutes Before Duel..._

_The Red Comet of Britannia calmly entered the cockpit of his KMF as Professors Albert and Thomas were making an on-site modification with a large package from Pendragon._

"The Emperor's getting impatient you know," the blonde said drolly as he began tapping the side of his cockpit.

"We were looking up some of your designs," Thomas explained, "Albert and I saw some promise in your Monoeye concept."

"..." Char righted his sitting position and began to scan the camera footage from his Factsphere.

"It is quite clever in concept," Albert hummed, "sacrificing overall range for greater reliability in the battlefield and making up for it by linking it with other allied Factsphere systems."

"I'm going in this fight alone," the Red Comet pointed out, "unless you took the other thing into consideration as well."

"Right," the jolly old scientist smiled, "stronger close range detection abilities_ especially _with fog and chaff."

"The missile launcher?" a small grin formed in Char's lips.

"Yes," Thomas answered, "you see, when the Sakuradite core of a KMF is exposed to chaff, well, it would cripple its ability to move, let alone fight."

"Scientific revenge?" the Red Comet snarked.

"Hardly," Albert huffed, "that two bit hack can hardly be called a scientist, this is just to teach him a lesson."

"Hmmm," Thomas rubbed the chin hidden beneath his great white beard, "with all the modifications we've done, we should re-designate the unit, it could hardly be called a Glasgow at this point."

"I'd like to call it..." Char turned off his video feed at this point, seeing the hand that fate had dealt him with once more, "...Zaku."

..._10 Minutes Later..._

_The emperor raised his right arm, commanding those in attendance to stand in attention. After a quick scan of the area, Bismark Waldstein gave his liege a barely noticeable nod and Charles stood up, his massive frame adding to his imposing presence._

"Citizens of Britannia!" the Emperor announced, "We have survived the trials, the battles and the conflicts set against us..."

"..." Lelouch stared at his father with a silent awe.

"Not with guns or Knightmares or Sakuradite," Charles continued, "any nation could possess this, but why have we succeeded so much where others have failed!?"

"Hmmm," Marianne looked at the exclusive box her husband stood in, taking note of the third occupant of the Emperor's box, "V.V."

"We have come so far with our iron-clad will, our determination and our resolve to keep going," the head of the Empire's voice boomed even louder at the enumeration, "many years ago, our success today would be unthinkable, impossible even, but here we are today."

"Today is a glorious day, a red day! Remember where our strength comes from!" Charles balled his hands into a fist, "ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!"

_Their spirits raised, the men and women of Britannia joined their Emperor in acclaim._

_"Amazing," the young Lelouch thought to himself, "so this is the power of the Emperor..."_

"Bismark," the Emperor looked to his Knight of One, "are the combatants ready?"

"Yes my lord," the one eyed Knight answered.

"Very well," the head of the Empire looked to the set battlefield, "begin the duel."

_-Char's POV-_

_"I won't deny that I've been wanting to do this for a while now," _the blonde smirked as his Knightmare's OS loaded.

_Eyes on the monitor as it displayed the battlefield, the Red Comet firmly grasped the Zaku's controls._

"Oh Aznable," Luciano laughed over the intercom, "nice to see that you've gotten a better head on your shoulders."

"Bradley," was Char's only reply as he began arming the chaff.

"Eat this you bastard!" the sadist began firing up his engine, charging at his crimson foe with drill stretched out.

"Let's see what you've got," the blonde fired his first three volleys of chaff, "Knight of Ten!"

_Easily cutting down two of the missiles and dodging the third, the Vampire of Britannia stared at the battlefield in shock as he realized that his Factsphere was not reading past the smoke._

"Fighting dirty eh?" Bradley spat out, "how unsportsmanlike of you Aznable."

"No room for honor in the theatre of war," the blonde announced as he dashed mere inches away from the Percival, taking no opportunities to strike, "or to ones who've never known it."

"That chaff was useless you know?" the sadist pointed out, annoyance in his voice.

"I wouldn't say that exactly," Char positioned the Zaku ten paces away from his opponent, "it's served its purpose."

"Oh?" the Vampire of Britannia began laughing maniacally, "Have you forgotten what the Percival's specialty is?"

"Have you forgotten mine?" the Red Comet countered.

_Both Knightmares charge at one another with weapons outstretched and landspinners pushed to the very limit._

"An ax versus a drill, how clear the outcome must be," Luciano aimed his drill at the Zaku's head.

"Clear enough," Char smirked as he threw his ax at the incoming enemy, only for it to tilt slightly left, missing the Percival completely.

"You even missed at this range," the Vampire of Britannia laughed aloud, "you don't even realized how outclassed you-"

_A hard impact shook the Knight of the Round before he could finish his sentence. Luciano Bradley looked around, only to find the Heat Ax had curved like a boomerang, and now it was less than a meter away from his face, the Zaku's Slash Harken holding a strong grip on it._

"Dammit, you idiot!" Bradley cursed at the blonde, "The reactor of this thing is gonna blow!"

"Don't worry, that's what the chaff was for," the Red Comet replied, "it runs interference with your power supply to prevent meltdown."

"That's cheating you damn bastard!" the orange haired man yelled.

"It didn't shut you down," the blonde sighed, "Knight of Ten, but I was hoping it would shut you up."

_-Meanwhile-_

_Marianne vi Britannia was studiously taking in all she saw from the battlefield, noting that Cornelia's Knight was somehow holding back against the Knight of Ten._

"Even with an inferior unit," the Empress hummed, "just what could he do if he got something better..."

"Incredible," Lelouch stared at the battlefield, "a single stroke battle with such a technique."

_Cornelia however, was dumbstruck to a higher level than her half brother._

"Back then...and even now," the purple haired princess said hesitantly, "he was holding back."

_-Victory-_

_Recovering the wreckage from the battlefield, the crew remarked at how mostly intact the Percival was when one did not consider the large gash on its shoulder. A concerned Princess Cornelia approached her knight with a look of disappointment on her face._

"You never told me you could fight like that," the Witch of Britannia said with a tone of irritation.

"You never asked me," the Red Comet smiled.

_A moment of silence came between the two as both realized how close they actually were to the other. Thankfully, a welcome intrusion stopped the moment from becoming anymore awkward._

"Aznable," a cultured voice called out.

"Sir Waldstein," Char gave a Britannian salute to the Knight of One.

"It was truly a shame that you declined His Majesty's offer," the one-eyed Knight sighed.

"Don't worry sir," the blonde reassured the Britannian Ace, "I'll be giving you more reasons to promote me soon enough, I just need to get a feel of the battlefield."

"Hmph," the man scoffed, "I look forward to it."

"Sir Waldstein..." the purple haired Princess was dumbstruck, _"the Knight of One actually came to personally congratulate him."_

"Your Highness," the man shifted his gaze to Cornelia, "the Emperor is glad that you have found someone so capable, but he insists that you let him tone down on the fisticuffs."

"U-understood," the girl fumbled.

_Leaving the two to their own devices, Bismark returned to his post beside Charles zi Britannia._

"You heard the man," the Princess gave her Knight her best Ojou impression, "no more face punching."

"But I'm so talented in it," the blonde gave a fake whine, "in exchange you would owe me a favor Your Highness."

"You have the gall to ask for such a thing?" Cornelia's eyes widened before sighing in acquiescence, "What do you want?"

"Dinner for two," the man said calmly, "just us, no cameras, no servants or doting parents or siblings."

_Upon inflecting the last item, Char threw a glance at a nearby tree where he spotted Marianne the Flash._

"We've been compromised," the Empress chuckled as she stealthily made an exit, carrying Lelouch and Nunally with her.

"I-I," Cornelia could say nothing coherent as her face reddened.

"I'll pick you up at seven," Char smirked as he returned to the maintenance of his KMF.

_-End-_


	6. Chapter 6

-Red Comet of Britannia:Descent of The Prince-

_-2009 a.t.b.-_

_Three years had passed since Char had done battle with Luciano Bradley, the Knight of Ten. Three years had passed since he gave his late research team the opportunity for their revenge against a former colleague. And lastly, three years had passed since he became the personal knight of Cornelia li Britannia._

_-7:00 A.M.-_

_The purple haired princess groaned in frustration._

"Damn," Cornelia muffled under the sheets, "why did we drink that much again last night?"

"We were celebrating our future deployment in Africa," Char's voice projected from the kitchen.

"Right..." the princess pondered, her memory jogged, "are you always up so early in the morning?"

"It keeps me focused," the Red Comet stated matter-of-factly, "and would you ever deny yourself breakfast by yours truly?"

"Funny," the Witch of Britannia chuckled, "and no, so give me the toast."

_With a renewed ferocity, Cornelia's arm moved like a snake as it lunged towards its prey._

_"Not a chance,"_ the blonde smirked, seeing the move coming with his Newtype senses,_ "gonna take a while to get used to the 'flash' after so long without them."_

"I feel like your cheating somehow," the woman whined, rolling under the sheets.

"You're just not a morning person," Char explained as he placed the Princess' plate on a nook, "Your Majesty."

"Oh shut up, you," Cornelia mumbled, "by the way, Gottwald is on today's shift."

"Ah, yes," the blonde's mind scratched itself for some manner of recollection, "Jeremy, as we called him, fell into the Purists, although he's more on the liberal edge of things."

"You two still keep in touch after the rescue?" the purple haired girl inquired as she sipped her morning coffee.

"Did I keep in touch with Bradley after the duel?" the Red Comet chuckled, "Without Darlton, the three of us would have gone for each others necks."

"How so?" the Witch of Britannia asked as she took another bite of toast.

"Bradley is a sociopath, Gottwald is a by-the-book type of guy, an idealist if you ask me," Char pointed out.

"And what about you?" Cornelia grinned.

"I'm your incredibly adorable Knight who you love parading around your sisters as you watch the envy leaking from their expressions," the blue-eyed Knight countered.

"Hmph," the woman looked away, unwilling to admit that the stated was true.

"Honestly, I'm more a middle ground type of person," the Red Comet finalized, "Bradley was unnerving and Gottwald is too stuffy and into his job to have a non-work related conversation."

"Makes sense," the Princess agreed, "second order of business...By the way, do you really need all this red in your apartment?"

_-Aries Palace-_

_A black limousine, escorted by a few less conspicuous cars stopped at the rear entrance of the vi Britannia residence. From the vehicle emerged a blonde man and a purple haired woman, both in their early twenties. The pair went on towards the structure, waiting for official recognition of their arrival.  
_

"Her Royal Highness," a servant announced, "Princess Cornelia li Britannia and Knight of the Order of Merlin, Sir Char Aznable."

"They may enter," the former KMF pilot gestured at the door, "you may leave us now."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the announcer bowed respectfully before leaving the two royals and the knight.

_...A few minutes later..._

"I wasn't expecting you to bring Char," Marianne said with a hint of surprise in her tone.

"He and Lelouch made plans to go and do 'manly' things," Cornelia sighed, complete with hand quotations.

"It's important for the Prince to get away once in a while," the blonde said defensively.

"I agree with your knight on the matter though," the Empress replied, "Lulu needs to spend some time away from all the estrogen he's around everyday."

"It makes more sense when you're explaining it," the Princess smiled, "where are they anyway?"

"Oh Nunnally is taking a nap and Lulu is in the study again," the raven-haired woman answered.

"I'll get Lelouch," Char sighed, "even if I have to drag him out of his chair...again."

"Good luck with that," the Witch of Britannia giggled.

_-The Library, Aries Palace-_

_The blonde eyed around the over-sized room, bookshelf after bookshelf obstructing his view._

"Your Highness?" the Red Comet called out thru the shelves, "Prince Lelouch, are you here?"

_Silence._

"Your Highness?" Char called out louder.

"I heard you the first time!" a little raven-haired boy walked out of a small corner, "You'd think the military would teach you to be quiet in a library."

"Nice to see you've decided to come out this time," the blonde chuckled.

"You weren't this loud last week," the Prince said with a hint or irritation.

"I see," the soldier rubbed his chin, "perhaps I should be louder next time..."

"Let's just go already," Lelouch sighed in defeat.

_-Meanwhile-_

_-Staff Room, Aries Palace-_

_A very irate Jeremiah Gottwald was dutifully watching the live feed from the cameras scattered throughout the Palace, his focus drawn on the dialogue he was listening to._

"I don't care if that man is an ace pilot, that's not how one addresses a Prince!" the guard slammed his fist on the keyboard.

"Gottwald!" a commanding voice reprimanded the Britannian soldier.

"Princess Cornelia!" the blue haired man bowed respectfully.

"Need I remind you that you are handling very sensitive equipment?" Cornelia crossed her arms, "And yes, while Char isn't the most keen on decorum, we feel that he is a necessary influence on Lelouch, being the son of a commoner mother has alienated the vi Britannias from the rest of the royal family, present company excluded of course."

"..." the man contemplated what he just heard, "I see."

"And while these are family matters," the Witch of Britannia scowled, "you should be aware that things like these are far more common than what gets out to the media."

_Leaving the room, the Princess returned to her post at the Empress' side, leaving Gottwald to reconsider his views on what it is his loyalty is truly addressed._

_-Pendragon, City Proper-_

_The little boy set his gaze on the people that were on the other side of the tinted glass._

"So Lelouch," the blonde hummed as he continued driving, "any ideas on what we're doing today?"

"Let me hazard a guess," the raven-haired boy said with a deadpan expression, "we're going to train with the Knightmare simulator...again?"

"No, not today," Char replied, "I came across Miss Ashford a few days ago and she says you've been avoiding her, now why is that?"

_Lelouch gulped as he realized that Char had taken him to the Ashford's residence._

"Can I have you executed and write this incident off as treason?" the boy said innocently.

"Sadly, no," the blonde chuckled, "but the Ashfords have been your mother's allies since she was in the Knights of the Round."

"I understand that, but," the boy fumbled, a rare occurrence, "but, Milly is, well, Milly."

"Exactly," the Red Comet smiled, "she's paying me in fine wine and strawberries to get you there."

"Which you can afford on your salary with some change left to spare," Lelouch countered.

"Yes, but this way, I get them for free and save your friendship," Char grinned, "I'm such a good person."

"I would argue that to be subjective," the child groaned.

"We're almost there anyway," the mentor pointed out, "so chin up now or she'd force you into something _more _uncomfortable than usual."

"If you married Cornelia now, I'm sure you wouldn't have the time nor need to do these dreadful tasks," the boy joked.

"...You knew?" the blonde asked in shock, stopping the car.

"Wait, I was joking, don't tell me you're serious?" Lelouch sat with his mouth agape.

"Yes, I am," the man sighed as he realized that he blew his cover, "tonight actually, that's why I contacted the Ashfords since they know a few people who know better about things like these, had dinner plans in a nice restaurant, some fine wine."

_Without another word, the ace pilot threw a small box towards the Black Prince._

"This is...!" the boy stared in shock as he opened the box.

"Yeah, it's her favorite color, so I figured she'd like it on a ring," the Red Comet crossed his arms.

"Aren't you worried the Imperial Family won't approve?" Lelouch posed a question.

"Not really, considering I won them a few 'impossible battles'," Char answered with confidence.

"Father does show favor in your abilities as a Knight..." the boy agreed.

_Before the conversation could resume, a sound that sent shivers down the youth's spine boomed from outside the car._

"Lulu!" a little girl who stood a few inches taller than the Prince ran from the direction of the manor, "I haven't seen you in ages!"

"One of these days Sir Aznable," the Prince cursed the blonde, "I'll make it look like an accident."

"Have fun now," Char laughed before accompanying the children to the Ashford manor.

_-Aries Palace-_

_The Witch of Britannia oversaw the security detail to the former Knight of Two and current Empress of Britannia, Marianne the Flash, a woman who inspired many young women in the Empire, Cornelia herself included._

"Chapman, take Braddock with you to the east wing," the Princess relayed her orders, "Williams, tell Gottwald to transfer to the basement, is everyone accounted for?"

"Yes ma'am!" the royal guard replied in unison.

"Cornelia dear," a demure, raven-haired woman called out to the head of security.

"Yes, your Majesty?" Cornelia turned towards Marianne.

"I'm a little stressed out today, so would you mind calling off the security detail for today," the former Knight of Two requested.

"But, that would be a severe breach of decorum, not to mention the security risks," the purple-haired princess pointed out.

"Silly you, I have the Ganymede prepped in the basement, three guns under my bed and a taser in my ring," the Empress countered matter-of-factly.

"Really?" one of the soldiers wondered in disbelief.

"Yes," the woman replied as she formed her hand into a fist, opening the folds in her rings design, a thin wire speeding towards the questioning guard, and shocking him unconscious, "at least I've still got it."

"The demonstration was wholly unnecessary," Cornelia sighed as she had the guards carry their unconscious comrade.

"Get going now and be careful on the way out," Marianne shooed the group away, her voice firmer than before.

"Stay safe your Majesty," the Princess bade one last farewell.

"No worries dear," the Empress waved the girl goodbye.

_-Pendragon, 2 Hours Later-_

_Lelouch vi Britannia was exhausted from his 'date' with Milly Ashford, silently cursing Cornelia's Knight for bringing him into the situation in the first place._

"No offense Lelouch," the blonde spoke as he stopped the care for a red light, "but you have the constitution of a wet tissue paper, that's been torn to shreds and quickly glued together with expired paste."

"I have no idea how to even take that as an offense," the raven-haired boy lied, "can we go home now?"

"If I didn't take you home, that would be kidnapping," the Red Comet stated, "and your sister would kill me if I tried."

"Hmmm," the Prince rubbed his chin, "maybe I should tell her that you tried to kidnap me."

"You're never going to let this go are you?" the ace pilot raised an eyebrow.

"Not unless you take an explosion for me or Nunnaly,l" Lelouch said impassively.

_*RING*_

"That's Cornelia right now," the blonde said as he checked his phone and put on his headset, "I'm on."

"Is Lelouch with you right now?" the voice of Cornelia li Britannia sounded distraught.

"Yes, what's wrong," the Red Comet was becoming alarmed.

"Just, just take him to my place and don't turn on the TV's," the purple haired princess' voice was becoming more strained.

"Understood," Char said firmly, "call me later."

"O-okay," the woman shakily replied before cutting the connection.

_It wasn't until a few hours later that Char Aznable and Lelouch vi Britannia learned what happened earlier that day._

_Marianne vi Britannia was assassinated that afternoon and the culprit was still at large_

_-End-_


	7. Chapter 7

-Red Comet of Britannia:Rise of Vengeance-

_-2009 a.t.b.-_

_It had been a day since the assassination of Britannia's Empress Marianne, the security teams had been personally interrogated by Lelouch and Char, key persons involved in the matter were Jeremiah Gottwald and Princess Cornelia herself._

"Lulu," the Witch of Britannia looked distraught.

"Sister," the Black Prince wore a cool facade, but those that knew him personally understood what lay beneath the mask.

"Cornelia," Char said impassively.

"The Empress relieved the security detail herself," the Princess reported, "I was there when she gave the order and there is a recording of both audio and video. Please brother, don't beat yourself up over this."

"Cornelia," a quiet rage filled Lelouch's voice, "my mother is dead at the hands of terrorists, which I doubt are even EU!"

"Lulu, all those men wore EU uniforms in the shootout," Cornelia replied.

_The Princess' words rang true, the warzone that was the Aries Palace was littered with the corpses of many an EU soldier, the compartment that held Princess Nunnally's room was flung far away from the wreckage, a mother's duty fulfilled. Marianne's hidden armory had served its purpose, but it was not enough, for atop the mountain of corpses lay the scattered parts of some 'requisitioned' Glasgow's strewn about and one mostly intact Ganymede, generations behind its adversaries was one Marianne vi Britannia, bloodied and yet smiling. A warriors death indeed._

"Whose serial numbers were registered as casualties in battle for at least a year!" the Black Prince revealed, lightning flashed in the window behind, adding to the drama of his statement.

"What?" both Char and Cornelia turned their gaze towards the bereaved child.

"That's right," the young lad said matter-of-factly, "we're being led into believing that the EU are responsible for this."

"Wait," Cornelia gestured towards her younger brother, a moment taken to meditate on the shocking news, "if what you say is true, then this issue extends farther than anything we have the power to question."

"She's right Lelouch," the blonde reassured, trying to calm the boy down, "this, this is going to take more than just the three of us. And it is going to take a long time to gather the personnel and resources."

"Char!" the princess reprimanded the knight, "What you're saying is tantamount to treason."

"No, whoever did this," the Red Comet answered as he closed the curtains, "wanted us to blame the EU, either to cover their own tracks or to give another reason for Britannia to continue attacking EU territories."

"Prolonging the war would have the advantage of bringing us more access to natural resources," the Witch of Britannia added, "especially Sakuradite."

"So my mother was tangled in the political webs not unlike that which Father endured?" the raven-haired boy slumped in his seat, "I must inform Father of this, he might grant us the necessary leeway to catch the orchestrator of this plot."

"No," Char said with a grim tone, "it would be seen as disrespect to the crown and not even a Prince is exempt from that rule, if you go to His Majesty, you would risk your position as Prince."

"That matters not to me!" Lelouch said passionately.

"Then what about Nunnally!?" the blue-eyed blonde shot back, "You two are the only ones carrying the name of vi Britannia, your sister is blind and crippled, she needs the medical care here in Penndragon."

"..." the Black Prince said nothing, the knight's logic was sound.

"I'm so sorry Lulu," the Princess mumbled as she embraced her beloved sibling.

"..." the Red Comet had taken a moment to appreciate the cruel mirror that was beginning to form before him, _"Just like me."_

_For the first time since the whole fiasco began, Lelouch vi Britannia sobbed. The death of his mother, the crippling of his sister and the worst part of the predicament he was in now, he couldn't do a single thing about it._

"Char," the royal motioned towards the blonde, wiping his tears away, "what, what would you do if you were in my shoes?"

"Fight, grow, command and conquer," Cornelia's knight answered briefly.

"Fight those that would take advantage of this opening and attempt to remove you and your sister from the line."

"Grow stronger, forge connections throughout the nobility and commoners."

"Command respect, loyalty and admiration from those you meet, especially in the battlefield."

"Conquer..." the blonde hesitated briefly, "distinguish yourself in combat, beyond what lesser commanders would achieve."

"That plan is going to take years!" the raven haired boy complained.

"Then it's best we get started now," Cornelia said as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Your Highness," Char placed a hand over the boy's shoulder, "when General Darlton found me, my entire village was burned down to the ground by the EU, I've made them pay ever since."

"..." the Prince simply nodded.

"But that isn't enough," the Red Comet continued, "my solution only removes ten, twenty, or thirty of them in a fight, I don't really intend to slaughter them all, no, I'm better than that, but I'm a soldier, it's the only thing I can do. The best solution would be to a find a way that either brings peace or removes the Europeans battle ability completely, but I don't have the means of accomplishing the best solution."

"But in my case, I do..." Lelouch thought aloud, "is that what you're saying?"

"Yes it is," the blonde answered flatly, awaiting more questions from the youth.

"For starters," Cornelia raised her index finger, "mother has decided to take you and Nunnally in, that should avoid some of the headaches the others would bring up."

"Secondly," Char did a fake cough, "I will be acting as your guardian for day-to-day activities, General Darlton will teach you military basics and of course, we will begin your training as soon as I can finish my paperwork for high command."

"Training?" a look of despair taking over the young lad's face.

"You currently have the constitution of a wet tissue paper," the Red Comet said with no hint of malice or insult, earning a laugh from the Princess.

"There's no need for that," Lelouch tried to weasel himself out of the situation.

"I agree with Char," the Witch of Britannia interjected, "you'll never know when you'd need to run more than twenty feet."

"Sister!" the raven haired boy moaned in frustration.

"You certainly won't be distinguishing yourself in the administration," Char added, "military is your only shot, and since everyone who isn't named Schneizel or Cornelia is grossly incompetent, you'd have a much easier time."

"A commander would need rudimentary knowledge to at least defend himself," Lelouch pondered.

"Exactly," the blonde smiled, "if the King does not move, then who would follow."

_-Meanwhile-_

_-Japan, A Few Months Later-_

_A large group of people could be seen boarding trucks and boats as the sound of landspinners grew louder and louder. Only few did not join the transports, opting to stay behind._

"Sir!" one man approached a middle-aged man, "You would have us flee in dishonor!?"

"No, soldier," the middle-aged man, Genbu Kururugi, turned to face the young one, "I would have you live to fight another day."

"Father!" a sobbing boy with brown hair yelled.

"Be strong, boy," the Prime Minister patted his son's head for the last time.

_The transports were prepared to leave, the collective facing the few brave souls that elected to remain._

"It is selfish for us to stand here while you ride," Kururugi said with a sad look on his face, "but our armed forces are still in good condition, still no match for the enemy's mecha. And that is why you all must live...So that there will still be a few good men to fight the good fight. We are not strong enough, not yet at least. Promise me, all of you, don't throw your lives away, make it mean something before you seek an honorable death. I know, maybe I will not see, but I know that you will be the one's to earn back our freedom."

_At the end of the man's speech, those that boarded the ships and trucks slowly made their way to safety, the sight of explosions and the roar of thunder drowning the night sky._

"Father," the young lad mumbled, "I, Suzaku Kururugi, will destroy Britannia!"

_-End-_

_Short chapter before the needed time-skip since I ran out of pre-time-skip ideas._

_Lelouch will still be horrible when it comes to physical exercise, just not as pathetic as he was in the show, he fights like 'Sherlock Homes' (the RDJ films) because he still tires easily.._

_Suzaku will be taking Lelouch's place as the head of the Black Knights, which will result in a very different conflict, he will not be Zero, but still wear a mask.  
_

_Since Lelouch and Nunnally didn't go MIA in Japan, the treatment of Numbers is generally better although there will still be some inequities in their society._

_Kallen will make an appearance next chapter, and you will be surprised how the change in events affects her._


	8. Chapter 8

-Red Comet of Britannia: The Black Prince-

_-2016 a.t.b.-_

_The man in the black command-type Sutherland cursed under his breath as the EU forces were slowly pulling back from the battlefield. The next generation EU machines, the **Panzer-Wespe**, were performing admirably when the skirmish had begun, the pragmatic commander simply adapted around the new weapon that the foreign Knightmare sported, the **Donner**, a long barreled cannon that launched metal beads at high velocities, capable of tearing thru the thick armor of the defense oriented Sutherland Vanguards the Empire had fielded against them._

"Commander," one soldier hailed the Sutherland's pilot, "we're pushing them back, we can cripple their forces if we pursue."

"Wait a minute Lieutenant Soresi," the black Sutherland's pilot said flatly, "something is very off about this. Everyone, maintain position and don't press onward!"

"But sir..." the subordinate attempted to make his case.

"Over there!" another soldier yelled as his KMF was _literally _disarmed before being summarily beheaded.

_The EU's Panzer-Wespe squadron had reorganized themselves at a record pace, easily downing the more naive soldiers of Britannia. At this moment, the Britannian commander decided that enough was enough.  
_

"You. Idiots..." the raven-haired officer directed towards his men as he facepalmed.

_With no hesitation or warning, the black Sutherland moved with ease towards the enemy line, it's assault rifle pointed at the ground, the dark painted machine's off hand holding a chaos mine._

"I tell you to wait," the commander muttered under his breath, lobbing the chaos mine at the enemy squad, _"That formation won't work on this battlefield."_

"I tell you that something was wrong," the pilot continued his tirade, broadcasting to all channels, _"That formation is theoretically sound, but highly impractical under the circumstances."_

_Assault rifle fire from the front-line Sutherlands rained down on the EU group, their Donner rounds took far too long to aim and fire for their high velocity to come to use against the faster than normal Knightmare._

"I'd also like to point out that I did not order my men to fire at my general direction," the man coughed as he absentmindedly dodged the gunfire from his own men, distracting his foes long enough for the 'covering fire' to strike the enemy frames.

_The Sutherlands slowly stopped firing after hearing their commander's complaint._

"I didn't exactly order you to stop now did I?" the raven-haired man laughed at his men's expense as he fired his slash harken at a Panzer-Hummel and used it as a shield against its younger brothers' railguns.

"Commander!" a radio operator opened a channel to the black Sutherland's pilot.

"Status report?" the man raised an eyebrow as he struggled with removing the perforated Panzer from his KMF's harken.

"Yes sir," the dark-skinned woman answered, "large enemy aircraft detected, four support crafts, armaments unknown."

"..." the commander meditated for a few seconds, weaving his unit out of the way and calling for his men to retreat, never showing his back to his enemies.

"Why are we retreating sir?" the lieutenant from before caught up with his superior, "We're pushing them back."

"Things are going to get very ba-" before the Black Knight could explain his reason for calling a retreat, the lieutenant was blown several meters back by a powerful blast, the man's Sutherland protecting him from any grave injuries.

"**_Hornissennest_,**" the commander growled, "the reports from Intel were correct after all."

"Commander, should I dispatch an escort to assist?" the female operator shivered as the loud burst of gunfire broke her focus.

"No, just prepare for plan Beta-112 at the following location," the man answered calmly as he typed in the desired coordinates, "this little weapon of the Euro's was designed with heavier armor plating than anything our Knightmare's have on hand and the covering fire from their Donner guns make things doubly hard for us."

"Beta-112..." the woman mumbled as she began scouring for the plan's directives on screen.

_Setting the black Sutherland's landspinners into full throttle, the commander quickly retrieved the intact cockpit of his lieutenant's Knightmare and lead his men towards the designated location._

_-EU Forces' Secret Weapon, Hornissennest-_

_The bridge of the heavy railgun-equipped craft was oddly shaped, mostly to compensate for the precautions needed to maintain its defining armament. The Captain was seated at the very tip of the area, his crew were also required to man stations that would pose great risk if ever breached._

"Damn labcoats never think of strategic placement," the ship captain groaned, "at least the armor plating on this thing is sturdy enough to justify the design."

"Captain!" a bridge operator with red hair caught the man's attention.

"What is it?" the commanding officer scowled.

"The Britannian's are retreating," the crew member answered.

"I can see that," the older, balding man said with a frustrated tone.

"But the location sir..." the operator pointed out as he opened an image on the ship's display.

"A cliff?" the Captain grinned at the most unexpected of circumstances, "this is good...Relay orders to all ground forces, conserve ammunition until the Imperials have reached the destination, we'll execute that damned Black Knight of theirs with everything we've got."

"Yes sir!" the young redhead affirmed before he began typing busily on his console.

_-Meanwhile at Penndragon-_

_Near the center of the Empire's capital was a quaint but busy pastry shop that was frequented by a great many people. The shop's fame had extended to even the ears of the Imperial family, thus, private rooms had been installed for any celebrity that wanted to keep a low profile as soon as the shop had expanded.  
_

"I really like their chocolate cake," a little girl whispered to the pink-haired woman that sat across her.

"M-hmm," the woman nodded with a smile, "I can't believe we haven't taken you here before, Nunnally."

"It's okay, just promise that we'll come here more often," the young Princess said as she took another bite from her dessert, "okay Euphie?"

"Of course," the elder half-sister answered far too serious for the topic at hand, "we're coming here every day then."

"It feels strange," the little girl mumbled.

"What does?" the pink haired girl asked as she tilted her head.

"Big brother's been gone this long," the girl in the wheelchair replied, "he hasn't been on the field for more than two months before..."

"Well, at least we know that he'll be back next week," the older girl said reassuringly, "Lulu is just following orders, although it is funny sometimes."

"How so?" the little girl spoke inquisitively.

"The only people that actually know who it is under the mask," the teen pointed out, "despite the fact that it barely hides anything..."

"You mean the people who actually bothered to remember us after what happened?" the little girl frowned as the memories flashed thru her mind.

"I mean the people who really care about you two," Euphemia crossed her arms, "honestly Nunanlly, you're too dark for your age."

"Hm?" the blind girl replied as she took another bite of her dessert.

_-Back to the action-_

"Sir, we're heading for a cliff!" one soldier said in an alarmed expression.

"I'm aware of that Private," the commander replied as he typed a message for a private channel.

_*BOOM*_

_A high velocity shell found itself three meters away from the black Knightmare, causing its pilot to flinch._

"Damn," the man behind the mask cursed, "just a little further everyone!"

"Sir! We've lost P1 and P3," another soldier's voice stuttered.

"Keep it together people!" the ace pilot encouraged his weary men, "Operator!"

"Yessir!" the woman stuttered.

"Deploy our disruption equipment!" the man ordered with a commanding tone, "And begin aiming our AA guns at their flagship!"

-_EU Forces' Secret Weapon, Hornissennest_-

_The electronic equipment on the battleship was beginning to behave erratically, preventing it from attacking properly._

"C-captain, we've got trouble!" the redheaded operator gulped.

"What's going on?" the man said with an irritated tone.

"Our equipment is acting up sir, it won't respond correctly to our controls," the bridge bunny voiced out,

"Is this the Imperials doing?" the captain's brow began to twitch.

"We're unsure, but we can still exert enough control to keep afloat," the redhead replied.

"Combat status?" the balding man growled.

"Nothing from our ground forces," the operator said with a hint of dread.

"Damn, those little bastards got us," the commanding officer facepalmed.

-_Back to the forces of Britannia-_

_The enemy warship ceased to have an effect on the ground battle, turning the tables in Britannia's favor._

_The invigorated Britannian forces were able to take the momentum of the battlefield away from the EU's ground forces, the lack of air support cementing their seemingly inevitable victory._

"Their ship is only going to be out of this fight for three minutes!" the Black Knight relayed to his troops, "I count thirty-four Panzer's on the ground now, take them down before we deal with the flying death trap!"

_Without access to their communication systems, the EU's Panzers were unable to effectively counter the renewed Britannian offensive lead by the Black Sutherland. Explosions soon came about, followed by metal flying in many directions, the eerie silence sowing chaos amongst the remaining forces._

_In less than two minutes time, the __Hornissennest had managed to recover most of its electronic equipment, its weapons systems still rebooting._

___-Hornissennest Bridge-_

___The Captain was clenching his fist in his off hand, the sight of his men being so easily beaten by technologically inferior opponents caused the rage within him to_ swell.

"Can someone please explain to me how this lone Britannian commander pushed us this far back?" the man asked with an unnerving calm.

"The 108th Britannian Division was assigned to transport packages to and fro Penndragon, sir." a blonde operator replied sheepishly.

"And that would be important how?" the Captain inquired, his voice increasing in volume.

"S-sir, the cargo in question happens to be some kind of electronic interference device," a dark-skinned operator answered.

"Captain, we've been sent an ultimatum," the helmsman yelled out as he pointed at the ground below them.

_The image of a handful of Britannian Knightmares, not unscathed from the skirmish, aiming bazookas in the general direction of the experimental battleship._

_-Commander-Type Sutherland's Cockpit-_

_The lone man inside the black-painted frame gave a weak smile as he opened a comm. channel linked to the heavily armed aircraft._

"Know when you've been beaten Captain, you don't have the ground forces to cover your ship while reloading, and I sorely doubt your ability to dodge every salvo from our bazookas," the Britannian said smugly, "surrender now and you along with your men will be treated favorably until your return to your respective nations."

"..." the line fell dead for a few seconds, the Sutherlands refusing to lower their armament in the face of an enemy.

_"They have no other pieces on the board..." _the Black Knight rested his head on his right hand.

"We accept..." the balding EU commander hesitated, "your terms."

_"Checkmate," _the man inside the Knightmare smiled before ordering his men to lower their weapons.

_Sighing in relief, the Britannian commander removed the onyx mask from his face, using the luster of its inner surface as a mirror._

"That should be enough for today..." the young man said as he observed the fatigue that built up in his face "...Even Lelouch vi Britannia needs a break."


End file.
